Hi again, everybody! When people browse my inventory, they often want to know: How to build storage shed? They are curious about what's involved in building a storage structure they see on my website. My answers to their questions vary depending on what sort of storage structure someone buys. For example, our Amish built wood and vinyl sheds arrive at a customer's home fully assembled. The delivery trailer backs up and the shed is placed into the desired area on an owner's property. In some cases, we recommend that a property owner get one of our storage building kits. Generally, we recommend a shed kit if a person has a narrow driveway or simply doesn't have the space to accommodate our delivery truck and trailer. The pre-cut portions in a shed kit combined with the clearly written storage building plans, makes the assembly process a relatively easy one. Alternatively, if someone purchases one of our metal garages or carports, we deliver and set up the structure. Here are a few suggestions of what a property owner can do to prepare for the arrival of his or her new storage structure.

Preparing the Area for a Fully Assembled Storage Building

We give our customers several days of notice before we make a delivery so they can double check the area to see that it's ready. Our buildings and carports should sit on a level area of ground. For instance, someone who purchases a carport would need to have a concrete pad or gravel pad in order for the structure to stand evenly. A shed or garage also needs to be placed on a level piece of ground. Property owners must choose a location with enough open space to accommodate the structure they select.

Another thing property owners can do when preparing for the delivery of their storage building is to check out the condition of the driveway. Are there any overhanging branches or piles of brush that will slow down or interrupt the progress of our truck and trailer? Are there any cars or other vehicles that can be moved to allow the truck and trailer more room to maneuver? The length of our truck and trailer is 52 feet. This means that a property owner who is getting a fully assembled shed has to make sure that the clearance of a driveway is at least 13 feet high and 14 feet in width. The more obstacles a property owner can remove from the path of the truck and trailer, the easier the delivery process will be.

Preparation Tips for Owners Who Order Storage Building Kits

One of the best things to do in preparing for the arrival of a storage building kit is to call up three family members or friends and ask for some help with the assembly. With the assistance of just a couple of buddies, it only takes a few hours to put together a shed. One person could be in charge of reading the storage building plans while the other two could share in the actual assembly process. You can even add some fun to the occasion by providing your friends with snacks and beverages or even the promise of a cookout later on! Your friends will be happy to help and you'll have a new storage shed up and ready to use! Until next time! Alan

The other day one of my neighbors got a new Amish-built storage shed from me at Alan's Factory Outlet. He put it in his backyard so he'd have a place to store his yard tools as well as his riding lawn mower. As the days went by, I noticed him busily planting bushes around his shed and even putting in a walkway. By the time he finished his work, his shed looked like an extension of his home! I realized that just because a shed or other storage building is a practical item, doesn't mean it has to look plain. Here are some of the landscaping design ideas I found that can make the appearance of a shed, barn, gazebo, pergola or other structure all the more appealing!

Dutch Barn style wood storage shed

Walkways and Paths Incorporated into Landscaping Designs

My neighbor created a walkway that leads from the back door of his house all the way to his storage shed. He put down flagstones for people to step on as they go. He told me that he chose flagstones because he likes the variety of shapes. They also fit with the atmosphere of his backyard which has lots of trees and flowers. I looked into some other landscaping designs that feature walkways. There are gravel walkways with stone borders. Stone borders, or stone edging, help to keep the gravel from disappearing into the grass or getting kicked around by people walking on the path. Other materials for walkways include pebbles, bricks and field stones. Putting lights along the edges of a walkway is another way to improve the look of the landscape. I'm convinced that an imaginative walkway can be the finishing touch to any landscape design that includes a shed or other storage building.

Landscape Designs with Flowers, Bushes and Shrubs

It's amazing how much interest a gathering of colorful flowers and bushes adds to the look of a shed, barn or gazebo. For instance, someone who puts a gazebo on his or her property may want to plant some beautiful yellow roses or azaleas around the base of the structure. This gives the entire area a brilliant dose of color. Climbing vines with a collection of morning glories are also an attractive addition to a gazebo's design. Other landscaping design ideas include putting a small fish pond next to the gazebo. A natural-looking fountain in or near the fish pond would be an appealing touch. Ferns growing around the edges of the pond would also make for a pleasant scene. No one will be able to resist the temptation to stop and look at the collection of goldfish or Koi in the pond.

My neighbor planted some Russian sage around his shed that gives the structure just the right amount of lively color. The Russian sage is an attractive shade of violet/blue. Some other landscape designs for a shed include planting some brilliant yellow Forsythia shrubs or Blue Star juniper bushes along the sides of the shed. An arrangement of mulch around the sides of a shed, garage or barn can be the perfect setting for a collection of low bushes or colorful blooms. All of this has inspired me to try some new landscaping design ideas in my own yard! Here is a website that will give you more landscaping design ideas and information.

Thanks for reading about finding the perfect landscape design for your storage shed, barn or gazebo. These are just a few ideas so please let me know if you have some other ways that you've landscaped around your buildings.

If your like most people your running out of storage space.

An easy solution is an Amish built shed in your backyard.

T1-11 Wood Siding Storage Shed

If when you walk in a room or shed and there is nothing but boxes and you barely have enough room to walk around to get what your looking for it could be time to think about some additional storage space.

You have several options when you are faced with this kind of situation.

You could never get any additional items but this is not very practical because as the seasons and years go by there are always those special keep sakes or maybe that deal on something that was just too good to pass up. So this option is not very likely.

You could possibly organize and stack up boxes as high as possible which would provide you with some more floor space but make sure to keep the items that you will access most often on top otherwise it becomes a huge project just to get one item when you need it. Even if you maximize the space to the highest degree, eventually even the most organized storage space will just delay the inevitable need for more space.

One option would be to add on addition onto the house but a project like this is very costly when compared to the option of buying a portable storage shed.

Getting a larger square foot house is another thing you could do. Sometimes this could be a viable option especially if when you bought your home it was just the two of you and than all of a sudden you start having several kids or the kids have moved out and than came back to live at home or the parents move into your home. These life changing events can really cause a need for a larger home. A more economical route for many would be to get a storage shed or a second storage shed for the influx of extra items or new people now residing with you.

Some of our customers have bought their shed after many years of paying monthly rental storage payments. It is true you could get more space by renting a storage building, but the problem with this is that after many years you will have paid enough on the monthly storage payments to buy a shed and sometimes 2 or 3 times over depending on how long you rented the storage space with nothing to show for it. Another disadvantage with renting a monthly storage unit is what it costs you in time and gas money each time you have to get something out of it or add an extra time to it. So buying a storage shed for you backyard makes a lot of sense if your looking to save money.

Lets say you are renting a home that is too small for your needs. The portable storage sheds can be delivered to your location and if you move we can move it for you. Of course this also applies to a home you own if you need to relocating in a year or two or a future date down the road. Please keep in mind we only move our own sheds and if your going to be moving so far away such as out of state than getting the shed moved would not be available and even if it was it wouldn't be very cost effect.

So we just went over some of the alternatives if you are in need of more storage space.

The most popular Amish built storage shed at Alan's Factory Outlet is the wood storage sheds. They are the most economical of the storage sheds available. When you buy a wood storage shed at Alan's Factory Outlet they are delivered fully assembled on a truck and trailer and come with your choice of paint color, trim color and shingle color. Once the shed is placed in your backyard in the location you want it, you can start filling it up right away. It even comes with a lock and 2 keys for security.

Discover 27 Uses for a Storage Shed

We are going to briefly touch on 27 different uses for a storage shed. Some of these uses will require additional work on your end and customization such as electric, ect. Please check with your local building code requirements and zoning set backs to make sure your within the guidelines of your county for what your looking to use it for.

Due to the autumn season we wanted to share a picture of one of our storage sheds used here in Page County, Luray, Virginia at the pumpkin patch.

The pumpkin patch storage shed.

Animal shelter, as a place to keep your dogs, cats or other farm animals in out of the rain, snow, cold and heat.

As a place of business to work out of to help keep your over head low.

Barber shop, one of our customers turned a shed into a barber shop and lifted up with a crane to have an access underneath the storage building for the pluming and running water.

Craft shop or quilt shop to store all of the craft materials.

Game room to have an area to play and have fun for both kids and adults.

Workshop as a place to work on those wood working projects without getting all of that dust in your basement or home.

Storage building to store extra house hold items or stuff that don't need to be in the house.

Chemical storage to help kid proof your home one way to go about this would be instead of keeping chemicals in your home you could store it in a locked shed.

Pool house as a changing room or pool supply storage beside your swimming pool or jacuzzi.

School house to teach your kids or as a class room to teach several kids.

Garden shed to store all of your garden supplies close by the garden.

Potting shed to grow your plants or flowers.

Tool shed so you can get organized and have an efficient work area.

Work out room or gym to pump some iron or get some cardio or ride that stationary bike or treadmill to get in shape for the summer beach trip or just for better health benefits or a longer life.

Mechanic shed to work on your car, truck, or farm equipment

A quiet area to relax, read, study, pray or mediate.

Wood storage to help keep the wood dry and ready to use when you need to fire up the wood stove or fireplace.

A kids playhouse for your child or children to play and a good time for us parents or grand parents to spend time with are son, daughter or grand children and create some lasting memories and invest in a kids future with the best gift of all and that is your time, shed not required for that.

In need of an extra room in your home but not wanting to spend the big bucks of adding on to your home, a shed could be the answer to adding an extra room that is portable.

A church, yes a pastor friend of mine turned a shed into a church even put a wood stove in it to keep the people warm during the winter months.

An office away from the home, if you need a quiet work area or don't have enough space for a office in your home.

Guest house, with a few modifications this could make a nice temporary headquarters for visiting family and friends.

Bathroom, we have had a couple people turn a shed into a bathroom.

Camping shed, it beats a tent and is weather proof. No need to worry about waking up to a bear trying to break in for some food.

Save money and stop paying monthly fees on rental storage when you can buy a storage shed and not have to leave you property to use it.

And the final use for a storage shed is at Alan's Factory Outlet I personally use one of the storage sheds as my office and have for 10 years.

Spring season is here once again and the grass is really starting to take off. Having a clean, dry place to store your riding mower and weed eater from the harsh winter weather will help you protect your investment and give you a piece of machinery that will last longer saving you money in the long run and help to keep your valuable items look new longer. Even thou you don't have to worry about the snow in the spring and summer the rain over time can start to rust away the outside of the mower.

The metal garages are built without a floor and come in many different sizes and styles with several different size garage doors to fit just about anything inside of it.

Two other options of siding if you want a garage door would be the wood garage and vinyl garage which can be built with or without a floor depending on your circumstances. The Amish built garages come with a single entry door and two windows and gable vents for ventilation.

Alan's Factory Outlet is here to help you with your storage shed and garage needs, please keep in mind that we are now heading into the busy season so plan ahead and beat the spring rush.

I would like to wish everyone a Happy Easter in this 2012 Year of our Lord. May God Bless You and Your Family as we take time to reflect upon what matters most and what things we have to be Thankful for. Thank You, Jesus

Create the look of a Cabin. The above storage shed is a 10x16 Highwall A-Frame Sheds with a 4' Porch on the End. Add a porch to any A-Frame, Quaker Shed or Barn Shed to enjoy that cabin/recreational space you have always dreamed of. You can place a porch on the end of the Portable Shed or on the side depending on which look you perfer.

We have a variety of sizes and colors available so that you can get a custom look to match your surroundings. The Porch can also be built on the side.

Alan's Factory Outlet have many other sizes and styles structures to choose from. Visit Alan's Factory Outlet located at 643 West Main St. Luray VA. 22835 or view all of the Shed Prices online today.

Today is the first day of Autumn. Do you have valuable items being exposed to the elements. Do you need a storage shed, 2 story shed or garage before Winter. The first snowfall could be just a couple months away. Sheds and garages come in many different sizes and style structures. All of the shed and garage structures are prebuilt and modular.

Sheds and garages can be built in wood or vinyl siding. Each shed and garage is handbuilt by the Amish and delivered on a truck and shed trailer.

Visit Alan's Factory Outlet display lot to view the sheds and garages at 643 West Main St. Luray, VA 22835.

Which do you think is better owning a Storage Building or renting a storage unit?

I want to point out a few things to think about.

Did you know that the average storage rental unit fee is $75 a month. That is $900 a year. Did you know you can own a 10' x 14' Storage Shed for about $2,000. So in a little over two years time you can own a Shed.

Example: $75 / month rental fee

x 26 / months rental usage

___________________________________

$1950.00 / Wow, you could own a shed!

Storage Sheds are also portable. Many landlords allow Portable Sheds to be placed on the property and when the tenant leaves they can take the building with them.

Lets not miss the convenience factor. You need something from storage it is right in your own back yard. You have easy access to your belongings 24/7. Your belongings are also protected by your own watchful eye. No one can take care of your personal property like you can.

Now lets talk about rent-to-own. A lot of people seem to be attracted to this, but I wonder how many people know they are paying for the Shed twice, maybe even three times. Can you imagine! eek!

A High Wall A-Frame Shed, is a really nice look for a Building. It gives an appearance of a more permanent structure, because of its height. The Shed shown in the picture is a 14' wide x 24' long with the door on the side. The door shown, is a real house door, swapped out from the standard wooden double shed doors. This building is also displayed with an upgrade of insulated house windows, instead of the single pane shed windows.

We use this Storage Shed as our office and it has been quick and efficient for us in every way.

Some other uses for these Sheds might be:

A Guest House

A Pool House

A Work Out Room or Home Gym

A Crafting Room

A Sewing Room

A Wood Working Shop

A Recreational Room

A Potting Shed and much more

The possibilities are endless! It is a cost effective way to get the space you have been dreaming of.